Before we get into all the specific cancer therapies, first of all it is important that we understand its terminology. This word “alternative,” “integrative” and “complementary,” have been used interchangeably in order to describe all the non-traditional breast cancer treatments, though all of them have very different meanings.

So knowing some extreme exceptions, many non-traditional cancer therapies are not regarded as alternatives for standard treatments. Therefore choosing any alternative care for the case of a breast cancer treatment means forgoing chemotherapy and radiation. Though commonly, a cancer patient is introduced to some complementary therapies, which are just as its name suggests — they are complementary to traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, though they are not considered to be substitutes.

Integrative or Consolidative care is also a style of medicine which incorporates both the traditional as well as the complementary treatment. Today the physicians who practice integrative medicine have a look to how a disease can affect a person as a whole: in respect of body, mind, & spirit.

Some of the Complementary Treatments

There are five types of treatments which are recognized by National Centre for Complementary & Alternative Medicine:  

• Biologically based practices. It includes nutritional therapies, use of supplements, or vitamins, & herbal medicine.
• Whole medical systems. Includes culturally formed healing traditions like traditional Chinese medicine (i.e. acupuncture) & ayurveda (therapy which originated in India which uses herbs, massages, & yoga), added to it is Western medical systems like homeopathy or naturopathy.
• Energy medicine. Therapies, are based on energy fields surrounding & permeate a body, includes reiki & qigong.
• Manipulative and body-based practices. In this it is massage therapy included added with chiropractic & osteopathic manipulation.
• Mind-body medicine. This type of therapy involves mind’s capacity in influencing  body’s functions. Include prayers, hypnotherapies, visualization, imagery, meditation, art therapy, and music therapy.

Proof of some Complementary Breast Cancer Treatment

Evidence that these therapies work is less. “We work with very toxic drugs with a lot of side effects, so we’re not willing to give them without ample evidence that they work. Oncologists want to use that same scale for seeing evidence that complementary therapies work.” “Oncologists are the most evidence-based doctors you can find,” says Dr. Abrams. But he points to conflicts in holding some complementary therapies for the same standard like toxic chemotherapeutic agents. “Studies on many complementary therapies are hard to do because a placebo for blueberries or massage, for eg, is difficult to come up with,” he says.

Today, the evidence is in favour of the complementary therapies for the breast cancer treatments have to do in relieving side effects of the traditional therapy. Acupuncture, as example, has shown in various numbers of small trials in order to reduce nausea & vomiting though was not compared to state-of-the-art the nausea treatments. Moreover, acupuncture is considered to be that effective for hot flashes in a breast cancer patient. Though some evidence that few types of treatments may also reduce inflammation.

Nutrition is considered as the key for Breast Cancer Treatment

Exercise & Diet is also a very important part for complementary breast cancer treatment. Any Women having breast cancer increases with risk due to obesity, specially after menopause women who had estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer. A reason, for increased physical activity & proper diet are considered crucial complements for traditional breast cancer treatments.

“It has been demonstrated that increased physical activity improves survival among women with breast cancer,” says Abrams. Exercise is the means to improve energy level & help in alleviating all tension & depression.

He also recommends very low diet of animal fats & high in fruits & vegetables, majorly vegetables like as broccoli, or the cauliflower, or kale. Abraham also is a fan of seasoning food clubbed with garlic, or onions, or turmeric & drinking green tea, all have been considered to have anti-cancer properties.

Tags: alternative breast cancer treatments, breast cancer

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.